Coach: Coaching the Grizzlies at the beginning, playing the bantam

Chapter 272 Fate Showdown?

After the game, Spoelstra lowered his head in frustration and did not find any excuses. He was convinced of his defeat.

This is not the first time the two have met in the playoffs, but Spoelstra has been at a disadvantage every time they met.

Spo's self-confidence gradually collapsed due to being beaten by Lu Yong all the time. In his heart, Lu Yong is a freak. This year, the Heat once led the Knicks 2-1, but in the end they were defeated by a comeback. This kind of deep blow destroyed Spoelstra. Poelstra's belief left nothing but admiration for Lu Yong.

Facing the interview with reporters in the audience, Spoelstra adjusted his emotions and commented: "I thought the Heat would definitely beat the Knicks this year because we did a better job defensively. But after the match, I discovered that the Knicks The defensive efficiency is far better than their data. This is a team that can fight from the starter to the substitutes. It is difficult for you to find flaws."

The reporter asked: "Do you think the Knicks can win the championship if they reach the Finals this year?"

"Of course, no matter which team in the Western Conference wins, I think the Knicks can win the game. No one can do better than us."

Spoelstra praised the Knicks openly, but in fact he also praised the Heat in a subtle way.

He said that the Heat were eliminated not because of their strength, but because the Knicks were too strong and other teams may not perform as well as the Heat.

Although saying this may not necessarily satisfy the fans, it can preserve his coaching position to the greatest extent. As long as the Knicks easily win the championship in the finals, his position will be preserved.

The reporter interviewed Lu Yong and asked him to evaluate his old rival Spoelstra.

"Spoelstra is an excellent coach. Not only does he have a high golf IQ, but he also knows how to unite a team. Unfortunately, he met me in the past two years. This is not a tragedy." Lu Yong shrugged his shoulders and said with a smile.

Another reporter asked about the ongoing Western Conference Finals and asked him to give his opinion.

The Spurs currently lead the Grizzlies 3-2, and tomorrow the two teams will compete in Game [-] in Memphis, which is very intense.

Lu Yong thought for a moment and said: "The Spurs and Grizzlies are both very defensive. Whoever can take advantage on the offensive end will have a greater chance of winning the game."

The reporter asked: "Which team do you prefer to reach the finals?"

"From a personal point of view, I hope it is the Grizzlies, because Tony Brown is my good brother and Gasol is also my disciple. But now it seems that the Spurs may have a greater chance of winning. They have experienced players. With the troika, it is easier to gain an advantage in key games.”

The reporter asked again: "You led the 76ers to defeat the Spurs in the playoffs last year and win the championship. If the Spurs advance to the Western Conference this year, will the Knicks sweep the championship?"

There are always reporters who want to create topics. Even if the answer in Lu Yong's heart is yes, it is absolutely impossible to say it at this time.

As a veteran team, the Spurs are strong. Even if the troika is older, there are still young people who will stand up and take responsibility. Unless the Knicks push the Spurs to the edge of the cliff 3-0, Lu Yong cannot be too arrogant and easily cause trouble in the league. dissatisfied.

Lu Yong smiled and replied: "Competitive sports are full of infinite possibilities. Although I led the team to defeat the Spurs last season, this year I will coach in a different environment and no one can guarantee the result. I can only say that the Knicks are the best in the league." As a team, we are not afraid of any opponent and are ready to compete for the championship."

The reporters were very excited. Although Lu Yong didn't say anything too absolutely, he also expressed the Knicks' determination to beat the Spurs from the side.

In Lu Yong's eyes, the Spurs' team's strength is about the same as the Heat's, and in terms of play style, the Spurs' team basketball system is just controlled by the Knicks.

Once the Spurs really defeat the Grizzlies and advance, the Knicks have a great chance of winning, and it may be much easier than dealing with the Heat.

On the 2nd, Game [-] of the Western Conference Finals was held in Memphis.

Tony Brown, as the assistant coach who left Lu Yong, allowed fans to see his progress this season.

To be able to lead the Grizzlies and push the Spurs to this point, Tony Brown has done a good job. In addition to still being sharp in defensive tactics, the offensive end has also gradually adopted the "Lu system concept". The center is pulled out to support the attack and increases outside passing and cutting. He really has the air of a top coach.

The Spurs' advantage is that the "troika" has been working together for many years, and coupled with the rise of newcomer Leonard, the overall strength is stronger than the Grizzlies.

Especially second-year rookie Leonard, he averaged 36.8 minutes per game in this year's playoffs, scored 13.5 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist and 1.8 steals. He shot 54.5% from the field and 39% from the three-point range. He performed very steadily. batch.

After the Grizzlies sent away small forward Rudy Gay, their forward attack was already weak. When the "Black and White Bears" were unable to play an advantage inside, Leonard's help in defense was a great threat, which also led to the Grizzlies' positional battles. With strong defense, the efficiency is naturally not as good as the Spurs.

After the game started, the Spurs took the lead in the first quarter, relying on Tony Parker's continuous throws to gain an advantage.

The biggest gap between the two teams' lineups is the unequal number of stars. This is where the Grizzlies suffer.

The Grizzlies' lineup is no better than Lu Yong's previous life. They can play six games with the Spurs because of head coach Tony Brown.

Entering the conference finals, Randolph's personal statistics dropped to 17 points, 10 rebounds and 1.6 assists, and his shooting percentage was less than 50%. He had no advantage against Duncan, even though Duncan is 37 years old this year.Conley's performance is also very average, with a shooting percentage of 38.4%, and his scoring depends entirely on the ball.

Gasol's performance is as stable as ever, but he is not a scoring inside man. When his teammates do not perform well, all he can do is defend + organize. After all, his offensive ability is not as good as that of the Spurs, who are more blossoming.

With Parker scoring 11 points in the first quarter, the Grizzlies trailed by 23 points 31 to 8.

In the second quarter, the Grizzlies' weak forward line began to show up again. The strongest substitute was Darrell Arthur, the 08th pick in the first round of 27. He averaged 4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in the playoffs, which was embarrassing.

The Spurs play team basketball. Diaw and Joseph can organize offense inside and outside. Together with the three sharpshooters of Neal, Danny Green and "Red Mamba" Bonner, the Spurs quickly penetrate the outer defense. , extending the lead to 18 points.

At halftime, there was a clear majority of people who were optimistic about the Spurs winning, including Lu Yong.

The Grizzlies were only one step away from being eliminated. Lu Yong was sitting in the data analysis room watching the game with a group of assistant coaches. When Tony Brown insisted on using zone defense instead of man-to-man in the second quarter, he knew that the Grizzlies were about to win. lose.

Popovich sent out a substitute lineup with strong shooting ability. As a result, Tony Brown did not make adjustments immediately. Instead, he stuck to the style of play in the previous few games, which was the same as Spoelstra's life-and-death battle. Put all the pressure on the players.

As expected, the Grizzlies lost by 10 points in the second quarter, more than in the first quarter, and the game went straight to garbage time.

Picking up the remote control and turning off the TV, Lu Yong stood up, tidied his suit, and walked out the door. "Don't look at it. The Grizzlies lost at least 20 points in this game. The victory is determined. Next, everyone can prepare information to deal with the Spurs."

This is indeed the case. In the second half, "Demon Sword" Ginobili suddenly unsheathed his sheath, first faced the defense and hit a three-pointer, and then caused a foul on Tony Allen during a fast break counterattack, leading to a 2+1 underhand layup. Enter.

On the defensive end, Ginobili also performed well. He assisted Conley in two successful steals and assisted his teammates in wonderful defensive counterattacks.

Under the Spurs' unreasonable team offensive, the Grizzlies' impenetrable defense was literally torn open.

At the end of the quarter, Gasol stepped forward to ask for the ball in singles, and scored by beating Split in two consecutive rounds in the penalty area.

Unfortunately, Gasol's single score is only a drop in the bucket compared to the Spurs' team offense, and it is not enough to quench the Grizzlies' thirst.

With Tim Duncan's low singles attracting double teams and assisting Leonard to hit a three-pointer, the point difference widened to 25 points, and the game completely lost suspense.

The Grizzlies sent out their starting lineup to catch up, but ultimately lost to the Spurs, 87-109, and stopped in the Western Conference Finals 2-4.

战胜灰熊后，马刺队将获得三天休息时间。6日，双方第一场比赛在纽约麦迪逊广场花园进行，赛程2-2-1-1-1。

Being eliminated by the Spurs is actually not the end of the world for Tony Brown. After all, before the season started, no one thought that the Grizzlies could reach the Western Conference Finals. The results he led the team to achieve this year have exceeded management expectations, and his status in the team The inside is getting more and more stable.

In addition, being eliminated by the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals also gave Tony Brown a long sigh of relief, because he didn't have to worry about facing Lu Yong in the finals and no longer had to bear that pressure.

As a coach who came from Lu Yong, Tony Brown knows better than others how perverted he is. If he really leads the team to compete with Lu Yong in the finals, Tony Brown feels that he will definitely not have the confidence, and he will not be able to gain momentum before he can do it. Already lost.

Now that the Grizzlies have been eliminated, he has still received a lot of praise, and the person taking the pressure has become Popovich. This feeling is actually not bad. At least "Old Fatty" Tony Brown is very satisfied, and he plans to go to the scene when the time comes. Cheer for the Knicks and vent all your anger on the Spurs.

At the press conference, Popovich attended with his players.

A reporter asked him to evaluate the Knicks. Popovich thought about his experience of being defeated by Lu Yong last year and did not dare to speak harshly. He said that the Spurs will do their best and will never underestimate their opponent in the finals.

Several Spurs stars are also very low-key. Even Parker, who has always been arrogant, is very honest. He only said that he would work hard and try to cause trouble for the Knicks, but he didn't dare to express his thoughts on solving the Knicks in a few games.

It's not that the Spurs have suddenly become low-key, it's that the team led by Lu Yong is too evil. As early as when he coached the SuperSonics, the Spurs suffered a lot in the playoffs.

Later, he traveled east to join the 76ers. As a result, the Spurs still couldn't escape the fate of being beaten in the finals. Now he has switched to the Knicks, the league's number one "trench gate". No one dares to show off in front of Lu Yong, for fear that he will die in the next second. Being slapped in the face.

"The new generation of champion coaches will face Popovich again!"

"The fateful showdown between the old and new generations, can the Spurs avenge their past humiliation?"

"The New York Legion is on the rise! In the finals, we are going to fight against the established teams. Is the outcome in doubt?"

Many media have released news about the finals, and most of the topics revolve around the two coaches Lu Yong and Popovich.

As the strongest coach of the new generation and a veteran coach, Lu Yong's battle with Popovich is an unavoidable attraction.

Everyone wants to see if Lu Yong can really complete the feat of winning three championships with three teams and become the No. 1 guerrilla coach since "Magic Calculator" Riley.

ESPN experts were not idle either. They predicted the outcome before the game. More than 80% of the experts were optimistic that the Knicks would win, while only 20% thought the Spurs would win.

Interestingly, most of the experts who support the Knicks predict that the battle will be resolved within 6 games. Some people are betting that the Knicks will sweep the championship 4-0 and believe that the Knicks will not be dragged into the tiebreaker.

On the Spurs side, although 20% of experts support winning the championship, most believe that the game will be decided in the tiebreaker.

From this point, it is not difficult to see that which of the two teams is stronger and weaker has long been determined.

Online, in addition to die-hard Spurs fans, other fans also supported the Knicks in winning the championship.

In terms of popularity, even the two Spurs can't compare to the Knicks. The Holy City is too small, and its economic level is lower than New York.

The next morning, Lu Yong organized the players for additional training.

The training content is mostly about shooting and running, and there is no high-intensity iron lifting.

Riley had inexplicably engaged in extra training before the Finals. As a result, Magic and Byron Scott were forced to practice until the season was over, and the Lakers were swept out by the Pistons.

Lu Yong doesn't want to become the second Riley, so he arranges shooting training for the players that focuses on maintaining their condition. Even the group confrontation time is very short to ensure that the players will not be accidentally injured.

As the team leader, Anthony focused on practicing three-pointers. It was not easy for him to score mid-range jumpers against the Spurs. Only by shooting three-pointers well can he maximize the threat.

After training, Lu Yong asked Anthony to have lunch together.

The two went to a restaurant not far from the arena and ordered steak, bacon, vegetable salad, etc., and chatted about the upcoming finals.

Cutting a piece of steak and putting it into his mouth, Lu Yong raised his head and said: "Cameron, winning or losing the first game of the Finals is very important to us. That old man Popovich will definitely deploy a high-intensity defense against you. I hope you come At times, we can use the three threats to break through and distribute the ball more, reduce the number of shots appropriately, and open up situations from teammates."

Popovich is an old man with a high IQ. The Spurs have Leonard and Danny Green on the front line. This guy will definitely arrange for players to focus on taking care of Melo.

If Lu Yong follows his train of thought, he will inevitably suffer a loss, but if Anthony's singles with the ball is used as a cover to connect the team, then it's not clear who will suffer the loss.

"No problem, I'll listen to you." Anthony looked a little confused, but he still agreed.

Although he couldn't understand why Lu Yong asked him to practice three-pointers when he asked him to pass more passes to his teammates, his success this season was inseparable from his unconditional trust in Lu Yong.

It doesn't matter if you can't figure it out. Anyway, the two of them are grasshoppers on the same rope. Lu Yong won't harm him, just obey him and that's it.

Lu Yong swallowed the food and explained unhurriedly: "I am very familiar with the Spurs team's defensive system. I probably know how Popovich will arrange it, and Leonard has made great progress this year. , is an excellent defensive gate, but your one-on-one advantage is not obvious, so I thought about changing my style of play."

"You can think of yourself as a bait. After attracting the Spurs to help defend, your teammates will naturally play easily." Lu Yong added.

"I understand, this is not a problem for me." Anthony smiled.

Even though he really wants to score high points in the finals, Anthony still wants to win the championship more than personal performance.

He has never played in the finals in his career. This year is an excellent opportunity for him to leapfrog. Anthony will not allow any accidents to happen.

He knew that he could not reach this point without the help of Lu Yong. Without Lu Yong, the Knicks might still be struggling to break through the first round and would not be able to get to the finals.

Now Anthony is completely convinced by Lu Yong, especially since the two of them get along very happily, Anthony certainly doesn't want to offend him.

Lu Yong nodded and said: "I know what you are worried about. Don't worry, the Finals MVP is not ranked based on player scores. If you can produce a near triple-double, the league will definitely give you this award first, because This is the choice that maximizes profits.”

Anthony was not embarrassed when his thoughts were revealed, and promised Lu Yong: "Don't worry, coach, I will definitely not let up in this finals. Even if I risk my life, I will bring the championship back to New York!"

He is determined to win the championship ring, and he is not willing to give up FMVP.

With Lu Yong's commitment, Anthony is much more determined. This year he will break through his limits.

He can win double MVP and scoring titles in a single season in the NBA. Even if he only has one championship in his career, he is still selected into the top 75.

　Ask for a monthly ticket, ask for a recommendation ticket, and ask for your support!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)